The Aspen Police Department has confirmed that the driver who hit and killed a bear cub Monday night outside of Hotel Jerome on Aspen’s Main Street has been identified and found to be not at fault.

“With the facts and evidence available to us, we found no fault on the part of the driver, nor proof that the driver knew of its occurrence,” said Aspen Police Sergeant Rick Magnuson. “While we are sympathetic to this unfortunate event, we would like to take this opportunity to remind citizens and drivers that wildlife is active during the nighttime hours and to take care while driving on the roadways.” 

Bear activity is currently very high at this time of year, according to both Magnuson and Public Information Officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife Rachael Gonzales, as animals enter hyperphagia and eat as much as they can before the winter. 

Gonzales added that this year’s drought has created a surge in bear activity in town, with significantly more bears than in a typical year moving across larger ranges in search of food — this includes moving through residential areas, near highways and on Aspen’s Main Street.

“While drivers should always remain alert, caution is vital this season as bears make much broader journeys in search of food,” Gonzales said. “Please slow down, eliminate behind-the-wheel distractions and carefully scan road shoulders and medians. Be especially vigilant during dawn, dusk and nighttime hours when bear movement peaks.”

While Colorado Parks and Wildlife does not investigate wildlife collisions, they do get notified and collect the carcass when a bear, mountain lion or bighorn sheep is struck by a vehicle, ensuring that certain parts of the animals — including bear gallbladders, mountain lion hides and bighorn sheep horns — are not stolen to be sold on the black market.

The agency also tracks the number of bears hit by vehicles. Gonzales confirmed that, from June 1 to Sept. 15, the agency has documented six bears hit and killed by a vehicle in Pitkin County. 

During that same time period last year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife had zero cases reported in Pitkin County.